Shattered Dreams
by Poetic-Fool
Summary: When Henry was five he found his first true friend. When he was twenty-four that friend changed into his family. Companion piece to Dreaming Wide Awake. Alex/Henry.
1. Chapter 1

'ello everyone, I bring you the sequel to Dreaming Wide Awake. My first story under my new name...Woot. I am very sorry for the long wait. I plan on bringing this one out slowly through parts, most likely once a month. But I think short chapters is better then waiting for a long one.

Warning; Un-beted (kind of rusty but I do love criticism). Also any changes that I have done to Dreaming do not apply until latter parts

Disclaimer: Don't own Silent Hill.

'ello everyone, I bring you the sequel to Dreaming Wide Awake. My first story under my new name...Woot. I am very sorry for the long wait. I plan on bringing this one out slowly through parts, most likely once a month. But I think short chapters is better then waiting for a long one.

Warning; As of 6-17-12 edited by my Beta reader. Also any changes that I have done to Dreaming do not apply until latter parts

Disclaimer: Don't own Silent Hill.

-/-

When Henry was five his world shattered,

Henry was a simple. His world consisting only of his family; his mother was the center of his world. Her gentle nature never pushed him, allowing the shy boy to pick his own adventures that rarely happened.

His brother, Walter, was his only friend. Walter was the only way that Henry was able to cope with living within a house of his father's dominance.

Henry did not know much about his mother's past nor did he have the mental capacity to understand it. He understood that she was married before, married to Walters father, who died shortly after Walters ninth birthday. Five years later Henry was born, causing the marriage between his parents.

At an early age, Henry understood that his father did not want children or did he particularly like them. He would refer to Henry as the 'accident' or the 'mistake' when he was angry.

Due to his father's quick temper, Henry learned to be seen and not heard. He understood the rules to keep his life calm and conflict free. He soon became a reclusive child who only spoke when someone addressed him.

The rules all but changed when his world shattered.

His simple life of a mother, father, and brother was lost when the news of his mother's death came to him.

"Walter," Henry whispered to his older brother, "when will mama come home?"

Walter grimaced at the question his brother asked him. He tried to keep his face passive to prevent any alarm to come to his brother. Walter watched his brother as Henry looked at the extended family with caution.

"Mom's in Heaven, with all the angels," Walter finally spoke, trying to choose his words simply so Henry would understand. "She is in a better place."

Henry mulled over his brothers words, not fully understand the true means of the words. He permitted out a small yawn to escape as he allowed himself to find a deeper meaning for his mother's absence.

"I think it is time for you to go bed," Walter spoke as he picked up his brother and walked up the rest of the stairs to put Henry to bed.

That night his dreams felt different to him.

He was alone in an unfamiliar playground. The only movement within the grounds was the equipment moving with the breeze.

Henry moved around the grounds in silent amazement. It was cleaner compared to the one close to his home. With chains connecting to all the swings and trash cans around every exit. Henry could not believe this was not real.

Stepping around the merry-go-round, Henry caught sight of movement at the edge of the lawn. Wary of what it could be Henry started to back away into the shadows.

"Hello?" Henry froze at the voice, the figure soon followed. It was a boy around his age.

"Hello?" the figure spoke again, coming closer.

Henry, with no other way of escape, willed himself awake. Within moments of his panic, Henry found himself in his room.

Confused and shaken up, he slowly crept out of his bed to his bookshelves. Reading until sunrise

Soon a new normal came to his life; restless nights of strange dreams followed by waiting for the sun to rise.

That was until the boy managed to befriend him.

"Henry," Alex whined. "You're late."

"Sorry," Henry apologized quietly, taking his usual place next to Alex on the edge of the sandbox.

"It's okay," Alex gave him a toothy grin.

Alex stood up suddenly with a cunning look on his face. He pulled on Henry's arm to motion him to stand up.

Henry followed willing, not caring where he was being dragged to. All that mattered was that he was looking at his new world.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for those who reviewed last chapter it really helped get butt into gear to finish editing this chapter, I am so very sorry for the long wait. School and my new addiction to Supernatural did not help my writing at all (So many feels because of that shows season finally). Reviews help fuel my motivation, criticism makes me strive to do better.

6-19-12 beta

When Henry was seven his life was unbalanced.

After his mother's death, his home life became an unbearable nightmare for the boy. His father's drinking worsened to the point where Henry learned not to show emotion. His blank stares were the only obstacles that kept anyone from seeing how he truly felt and, in reality, what he truly needed in life: Acceptance.

He felt lost and alone. Few hopes in his life still managed to allow Henry to stay strong. He had the hope that he was able to see his brother every day and Henry had higher hopes that his dreams would take him to a better place.

However, the verbal abuse was quickly taking its toll on the seven-year old.

His void of emotion made teachers and other adults in his life cautious of him. Each person failed to bring out any signs of emotion out of Henry. This failure on both parties caused Henry to be alienated from the other children while he was at school.

Even after the _incident_ with his father, that caused him to live with Walter, Henry still was unsure about people. Only two people in his life were allowed to be gifted with something as precious as seeing Henry with a smile on his face.

Henry was grateful that Alex made a promise to be his protector. The dreams that took him to his friend prevented any nightmares that would have come to him if he was a normal boy.

Soon the stability that came with living with Walter helped Henry become more open. His inner wounds were healing slowly. Alex made it his mission to make sure Henry was always happy when they left each other.

"Henry, what is your school like?" Alex asked suddenly as they watched shooting stars from atop of a grassy hill.

"Okay, I guess." Henry told him; unsure what would be the right thing to say to his friend, "there's a girl, a year younger than me, who will not leave me along."

"Ah, what is your girlfriend's name?" Alex was starting to enjoy teasing Henry more as their friendship grew. It gave a small indication that Henry was getting better.

"Eileen," Henry quickly answered without realizing the full meaning until he heard Alex's muffled laughter.

'That's not fair! She's just a friend," Henry complained.

"Sorry, you're just easy to tease," Alex told him, giving him a quick glance. He was still laughing

"Well how about you, huh?" Henry huffed; he was still not used to be teased by the other boy. For being his protector, Alex sure had an odd way of fulfilling it. "What about your friend Elle?"

Alex laughter soon died when he heard Henry's question, "She's just a friend, known her since I was really little."

Even if Alex could not see the different between the two girls, Henry did. He understood that he was not Alex's first friend. Elle also had a place in Alex's life and he knew that, but that did not ease the pain, that Henry didn't understand, build in the pit of his stomach.

"Still doesn't mean much; you still might leave me." Henry allowed his insecurities to shine through.

"No I won't," Alex boasted, trying to fix the situation that he didn't know about.

"And how do you know that?" Henry was not sure why he still feared abandonment from Alex. The haunting possibility that it might happen still hung over his head.

"Because Henry, I do not intend to leave you... So don't worry about it." Alex reassured his friend.

Henry's heart told him that Alex was telling the truth.


	3. Chapter 3

Woot woot, another chapter coming your way. Yay. I want to thank for all those who have reviewed so far and thank you for being so patient. Reviews make writing worth wild and also help me understand what I need to improve on and what you as a reader like. I also want to thank my wonderful Beta Pikana, who has helped me big time with this chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own Silent Hill.

Warning: Slit (In my Opinion) of OCC on Henry's part and talk about baseball.

When Henry was thirteen he got into his first fist fight.

All of Henry's trust issues had disappeared with Alex. Their bond had strengthened since Alex declared that he would be Henry's protector; every gentle touch that Alex gave told Henry that he was not going anywhere.

Even Walter took note of Henry's positive change of character when he first started to live with him, but accounted the change to being away from the toxic environment of his father. When Henry told his brother about his dreams and Alex, Walter figured it was stress that caused Henry to project an imaginary friend.

Yet, as of late, those reassuring touches were slowly fading.

He accounted it to growing up; that entering their teenage years has caused any childhood comfort to end. Henry started to assess his friendship for the first time since it began and he soon started to find Alex's behavior annoying.

Henry was sitting on a swing, listening to Alex and trying to understand what the other boy was talking about.

"…and the third baseman just fumbles the ball and let the other team score." Alex ranted. It was the third night that week that Alex complained about baseball, something Henry never understood. He was trying his best to listen to his friend, but the combination of the stress of his school day and the topic being discussed weighed heavily on him.

"Alex, would you shut up?" Henry spoke in an annoyed voice, his breaking point finally bursting. He was clutching his hands in frustration, waiting for the argument that was sure to come to start.

"What the hell man?" Alex looked confused at Henry's sudden outburst. Henry pushed himself up from the swing and started to walk away from his friend. He needed space. He was more comfortable in silence and the consistent chatter was too much for him to handle.

Alex grabbed onto Henry's shoulders to prevent him from going very far. Henry tried his best to shrug it off, going as far to shove Alex away from him. Henry wasn't sure who threw the first punch but it was evident that he was greatly at a disadvantage. Henry was far from weak, Walter made sure of that, but Henry lacked any amount of muscle mass that could help him.

Alex on the other hand did.

"Now are you going to tell me what your problem is?" Alex snarled as he kept Henry pinned down, "because if we keep this up, it is going to be hard to explain how we got our bruises."

"You changed," Henry wheezed out. He was starting to become uncomfortable under the extra pressure on top of his body.

"The hell does that mean?" Alex didn't get his question answered. He tried to stop Henry from struggling and then... he ended up on the ground. Henry had disappeared and was nowhere to be found.

Henry opened his eyes gratefully as he steadied his breathing; relieved that he managed to wake himself up before any more damage happened. Shuffling off of the sofa, Henry quietly made his way to the bathroom. He groaned at what greeted him in the mirror.

A large purple welt was forming on his left cheek. He knew full well that this was something he could not hide from his brother, but finding the right story was going to be difficult.

He didn't go back to sleep when he was finished checking himself over. Henry refused to. He felt guilt shape into the pit if his stomach. He couldn't handle the thought of telling Alex the truth of what was bothering him.

It became harder to rationalize what he had said to Alex because, Henry realized, he really didn't know why he said those things.

Sunlight started to stream into the windows, indicating that Walter would soon wake. Henry let out a yawn as he decided to start his day early. Walter was greatly surprised when he passed Henry later; he became concerned for his brother when he noticed the bruise on his face.

"Henry, everything okay?" Walter asked. He stopped Henry before the younger man entered the bathroom, making sure that he held his younger brother's eyes.

"I had an accident while sleeping," Henry lied. "I rolled off the couch and hit the table."

"I think it's time we turn the laundry room into your room," Walter told Henry. "It might be a bit small but we can make it work."

"That would be fine." Henry struggled out, desperate to flee his brother.

Walter looked worried at his brother struggling face, "Henry, are you sure you okay?"

"I'm fine, still a bit worn out from the move."

"Henry, are you sure? It has been almost a month since we moved." Walter asked once again. Henry was getting nervous. He was trying his best to keep his hair in his face, preventing his brother from looking into his eyes.

Henry left his brother at that, knowing full well that Walter saw through his lie like he always did. Henry didn't speak much for the rest of the day; letting his dark mood control him, until night came once again.

Henry tried his hardest not to fall asleep, let alone allow himself to dream. Soon the one night of trying to stay awake turned into a week of insomnia. His tired, yet aware mind would prevent Henry from dreaming. Any moment where a dream might take place, Henry would wake himself up.

It soon was too much for him. By the end of the week, Henry's failed his battle.

Henry found himself in the middle of the park: the one place that his dreams always seem to take him.

He started to wonder if he managed to fell asleep early enough to miss Alex. Henry started to move around the grounds, debating if he should just hide until he woke up. He knew it was weak of him to hide, but he was used to take extreme measures to prevent unwanted conflicts.

Taking no chances of being seen, Henry started to move towards the entrance of the park. The noises that seemed to amplify around him caused him to quicken his pace. He gave a sigh of relief when he reached the handle of the gate, feeling ridiculous at the fact that he was running.

His stomach gave a lurch when the handle slipped out of his grasped and the gate swung open. Losing his balance in the process, Henry slipped to one knee.

Alex stared at him in surprise and Henry tried his best not to look at him as he stood. It was agonizing for Henry to stand in front of his friend and not have the ability to say a word. Shifting his feet, he waited for Alex to talk.

Clearly the other did not know what to do as well. Alex was rooted to where he stood, hand still on the gate.

"You moron," Alex finally spoke, hands mock-punching Henry's shoulders as he stepped closer to his friend. Alex brought Henry into a tight hug. "Don't you dare ignore me like that again, you owe me."

"I'm sorry," Henry muttered.

"If something was bothering you, why didn't you tell me?" Alex asked. His face looked ragged, as if he worried lines on his face. "I would have listened... sure would have prevented you from punching me."

Henry blushed at the realization that he was the one that started the fight. Guilt replaced his embarrassment at the thought that he hurt his friend. Alex grabbed onto Henry's arm and led him to a bench. Both sat in silence once again waiting for the other to speak; fear loomed in their heads.

"What's wrong?" Alex finally asked. He was becoming more frustrated at the fact that they were dancing around the issue.

"I'm starting to wonder why I am still friends with you," Henry admitted, letting his head fall over the back of the bench, "Maybe it's stress, but... I don't know why I've been thinking about what's in my head."

"Still doesn't give you the right to attack me," Alex spoke sarcastically, "and why the hell didn't you bring up how you felt in the first place?" Henry guard started to pick up when he heard the tone Alex was using. The intensity in Alex's eyes where unsettling for Henry. It was hard to look anywhere but his eyes. "Henry, we're growing up, it's no surprised that we're going to start to have different interests," Alex continued. "You need to talk to me before you let you emotions get the better of you. Though, I do have to say you do through a mean punch for someone so scrawny." Alex complimented Henry, causing the other to blush.

"Walter made sure of that," Henry explained, "though he told me that I should only do that when I have to defend myself."

"How often do you have to do that?"

"Not very often since I changed schools," Henry spoke shyly. He was trying hard not to allow is bangs to cover his eyes.

The two boys fell into a silence. It was peaceful, something that neither had felt recently. It caused Henry's mind to form multiple apologies within his head, none of which seemed to fit how confusing the situation still seemed.

"Alex," Henry tentatively began," I am sorry with how I've acted. I was out of line."

Alex playfully punched Henry on the shoulder "No problem. We all have our moments and I think it was time for yours. Next time though, promise me that you'll talk to me before giving me a black eye. It was hard to explain the situation to my parents."

Henry shook his head in agreement as relief spreading to his mind as he relaxed around his friend. Their bond was still unbreakable, but it was morphing as they grew. Henry still was not sure if that was a good or bad thing, to him it just was.

A/N. The next four chapters are either half written or few lines down. Writing will get a bit slow this summer because of work, but I will finish this story.


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